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The Art of Rough Survival: Finding Edible Foods and Drinkable Water in Nature

“Our body needs nutrients to survive. Moreover, to obtain those nutrients, we have to eat plenty of healthy food. It is all good as long as you are living in a well-organized government-controlled modern society. However, what if you suddenly found yourself in a position where food is not readily available due to some natural disaster or other reason? How will you survive then?

In the old days, everyone knew how to collect foods from nature, but now that has become a lost art. Hopefully, this article will help you revive that art.

What to eat?

If you find yourself in the heart of nature, you can eat the following things:

Plants
Many plants that occur in nature are edible. Whether it is spring or summer, you can find plenty of vegetables and fruits in any forest. Some edible plants occur in the form of weeds, especially during the winter season, such as Burdock, Bull Thistle, Japanese Knotweed and Dandelions. Most fruits and vegetables are excellent for providing essential nutrients for the body.

Mushrooms
During summer and spring, many wild mushrooms that flourish can be eaten. Some examples of edible mushrooms are chanterelles, morels, puffballs, etc. In fact, some edible mushrooms occur during the fall months, too. However, winter is a bad season for finding edible mushrooms.

Bugs
Even though, most people find the thought of eating bugs disgusting, during tough times, whether or not you eat bugs can decide whether you live or die. Most edible bugs can be spotted year round. Ants, crickets, earthworms, beetles, termites, grasshoppers and many other insects can be eaten. To find those bugs, turning over rocks and logs is usually enough. However, if the weather is harsh due to snow or something else, it may be necessary to do some ground digging.

What about water?

More often than not, finding water in the wild is not very tough. Rivers, streams and lakes offer plenty of drinkable water. In addition to that, between late spring and end of the summer, many glaciers melt on mountain tops, from which fresh water can be obtained. In the case water bodies are not nearby; you can collect rainwater in some container to drink, too. You can even drink water build-ups on various shrubs and leaves in case of emergency. Note that if there is no fresh water to drink, then it is possible to consume stagnant or salty water as long as you filter such water using gravel, sand, charcoal or moss.”

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